The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system for detecting objects that pose a threat of collision, and in particular to a system that is mountable within a vehicle for detecting objects that may collide with cargo mounted to the roof of the vehicle, with high trailers towed behind the vehicle, or with high portions of the vehicle itself.
Vehicles are often equipped with racks and mounting devices to allow the operator to transport cargo on the roof of the vehicle or to tow cargo behind the vehicle. This cargo may include items that may not be conveniently arranged within the vehicle, such as a bicycle for example. The cargo often extends the vertical height of the vehicle, increasing the risk for collision between the cargo and low clearance objects such as garage doors and awnings for example. It should be appreciated that a collision between the cargo and an object may damage the cargo, the object, the vehicle or all three.
There have been several proposed solutions to assist the vehicle operator in remembering that the cargo is mounted to the vehicle roof. These include reminder type devices, such as a tag that attaches to the vehicle's rear view mirror or dashboard. This technique attempts to minimize the risk of collision by the presence of the reminder device in the operator's field of vision. Unfortunately, this technique is passive and is least effective when the driver is tired or distracted, which corresponds with the times when collisions with low clearance objects are most likely.
Electronic systems have also been proposed. These systems utilize sensors mounted to the high point on the cargo or on the outside of the vehicle. When an obstacle is detected, an alarm is emitted within the vehicle compartment. While more effective than the reminder techniques, these electronic systems require the operator either to install a wired connection between the inside and the outside of the vehicle, or to create some form of wireless connection, both of which complicate the installation of the device. Further, for sensors that mount to the cargo, the sensor must be installed and removed each time cargo is mounted to or removed from the vehicle. Still other systems have been proposed that utilize a radar-based sensor on the outside of the vehicle for detecting objects. While some of these systems do not have to be remounted when the cargo changes, if the roof-rack configuration changes, the system needs to be recalibrated. Further, another drawback is that these systems are installed on the exterior of the vehicle and therefore must be able to withstand the weather, making the devices more costly.
While existing overhead clearance detection systems are suitable for their intended purposes, there remains a need for improvements, particularly in providing an overhead clearance detection system where the detection height may be changed and the system may be easily mounted and operated within a vehicle compartment.